For an original animation that achieved both immense popularity and critical acclaim, the two to three days following its finale marked its peak popularity. Some viewers might have been too busy to catch up during the series, but those who truly loved the show would undoubtedly watch the final episode.
After watching, they would naturally post discussion threads, personal reflections, or lengthy reviews. While one or two such posts might not make much of a difference, a surge of them would inevitably generate buzz and sustain the momentum.
Death Note was a perfect example of this.
In the final days of March, the animation's popularity and buzz exploded.
Whenever friends discussed anime, Death Note was the inevitable topic.
Online, discussions surrounding animation were dominated by Death Note.
Animation-related publications went wild, desperately trying to capitalize on the trend by publishing countless articles about Death Note. These included plot analyses, articles praising the show's brilliance, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into its production.
Even after just a few episodes aired, Death Note had already achieved both popularity and critical acclaim, which was considered a success at the time. Now, it was a resounding triumph.
Thanks to this, Lin Zhiyan, who served as Animation Director, Scriptwriter, Character Designer, Music Composer, and Chief Animation Director for Death Note, went from being a well-known figure within the animation industry to a superstar director.
As countless people discussed the Death Note anime, they also discussed Lin Zhiyan himself:
"Taking on so many roles during animation production is incredibly difficult, but not entirely impossible. Yet, for someone like Director Lin to not only juggle these responsibilities but also create such a brilliant and outstanding anime... you'd be hard-pressed to find another like him in all of Neon. He's truly amazing."
"Agreed. Especially with a psychological thriller like Death Note, portraying the high intelligence of Light and L was no easy feat. Just writing the story alone was a monumental task, let alone doing it while managing multiple production roles and ensuring such high-quality animation. The difficulty was doubled. Most people couldn't even imagine pulling it off."
"He's not just any person—he's a god! Lord Hayashi!"
"I wonder what he'll do next. I'm so excited."
"I hope it's another dark, psychological thriller. A second season of Death Note would be even better, though I'd even accept it with a new protagonist."
"Changing the protagonist would ruin it. Lord Hayashi has standards—why would he do something like that?"
"Regardless, I'm definitely watching his next anime as soon as it comes out."
To achieve Divine Status, one great work is enough. Just like how some webnovel authors become legendary after a single book, many readers will eagerly declare they'll follow his next work no matter what, without even checking the genre or quality.
Of course, this is just talk. In reality, only a minority will keep their word. When the next work actually comes out, most people will still look at the specific genre and quality.
Moreover, if the next work fails, the hard-won Divine Status could shatter. If one failure is followed by another, repeatedly disappointing fans and causing their popularity to plummet, then when the author releases a new work, no one will offer unconditional support anymore.
Only after the first work becomes a massive hit, and two or three subsequent works maintain a similar level of quality, solidifying the Divine Status, will fans truly keep their word and follow every new work, no matter what.
The principle remains the same.
Regardless of what his next project might be, Lin Zhiyan's popularity was sky-high following the conclusion of Death Note.
For several days straight, his phone rang incessantly, and he received dozens of emails daily.
These calls and emails weren't from his fans, of course; his contact information had never been publicly released.
Yet, even without public disclosure, industry insiders had countless channels to obtain his phone number and email address.
The senders weren't fans inquiring about the next animation; they were industry professionals, particularly Animation Planning Companies, extending project invitations.
At the dawn of the new millennium, there wasn't a severe shortage of skilled Key Animators. If one refused, there were always others to find. While Character Designers and Chief Animation Directors were rarer than ordinary Key Animators, they weren't quite as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and their importance in the animation production process wasn't as critical.
Before 2005, truly high-level supervising directors—those with outstanding track records, widespread recognition among audiences, and the public's approval—were exceedingly rare.
Mamoru Hosoda was one such exception last year. After the success of the second Digimon theatrical film, a flood of companies sent him project proposals, even Studio Ghibli among them.
Now, it was Lin Zhiyan's turn to receive a deluge of proposals. Though most of these animation planning companies likely had little expectation of acceptance, they extended the offers out of courtesy.
Initially, Lin Zhiyan thought it was only proper to reciprocate the courtesy. As a member of the animation industry, he personally answered every phone call and replied to every email, even if he couldn't accept the proposals.
However, the sheer volume of proposals soon became overwhelming. Simply rejecting them day after day consumed a significant amount of his time. With other pressing matters demanding his attention, he found himself unable to devote any time to preparations for his second animation. In the end, he had to hand over his phone to Nanase Mayumi and ask her to handle the rejections.
Although this situation caused Lin Zhiyan some trouble, it was fundamentally a testament to his immense popularity as a Supervising Director.
With such a high profile, the promotional phase for his next animation would be much easier.
He would still need to invest heavily—no expense spared—but simply holding a project announcement conference would ensure that animation-related media outlets spontaneously spread the word about his new project. When the promotional PV for the animation eventually came out, it would have an even greater impact.
In short, it was a tremendous blessing.
As for the pressure that came with such immense popularity, Lin Zhiyan paid it no mind. Or rather, such pressure simply didn't exist for him.
When he made Death Note, he had worried about its success, whether the final two episodes would be well-received, and whether the audience would accept them. For his next animation, the plot required virtually no revisions. Moreover, since Death Note had already earned him substantial profits, even if the next project failed, he would still have the funds to make a comeback.
There was no pressure to speak of.
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